#SAVINGPLACES: TWITTER
TIPS FOR PRESERVATIONISTS
Sarah Heffern | November 13, 2014 | @smheffern | #PastForward
Know Your Audience
• Your new favorite website: pewinternet.org
• Channel-by-channel demographics
• Twitter has most reach into 18-29 year olds, African Americans
• Think about both your current and desired audience
Find Your Friends & Allies
• Search your org’s name– Who is already talking
about you?
• Look at partner orgs’ accounts– Do they have lists?
• ID local movers and shakers– Search by name,
affiliations
Tell Your Story
• What stories are you
already telling?
– (And what stories are you
not telling? Why not?)
• Don’t reinvent the
wheel.
– Research files
– Training packets
– Website and/or blog
– Newsletters and internal
reports
Make it Visual
• Get double the engagement
• Think eye candy– We are not like other
kinds of nonprofits
• Use text and collages– Phonto (app)
– PicFrame (app)
– Pixlr (website)
– Canva (website)
Put a Hashtag on It
• Insert yourself into existing conversations– #PastForward
– #preservation
– #savingplaces
• Be strategic– Search first
– Hashtagify.me
• Participate in memes– #TBT – Throwback
Thursday
– #OTD – On This Day
Be a Resource for Media
• Follow reporters
• RT/reply to relevant stories – Build a relationship
• Answer questions– Let them see you as a
resource
• Pitch gently
• Don’t be spammy!
Ask and Share
• Twitter is a conversation, not a megaphone– Answer questions
– Ask questions
• RT partner orgs, local advocates
• Always, always attribute what you’re sharing
Make Your Events Tweetable
• Pick (and publicize) a hashtag in advance
• Make the action simple and fun
• Collect and re-share responses
• Thank people for participating
Host a Tweetup
• Connect “IRL”
• Casual or formal
• Focus on unique experiences
• Use a hashtag
• Capture the story– Storify.com
Set Goals & Analyze Results
• General goals vs. project-specific goals
• Quantitative goals vs. qualitative goals
• Sources include:– Twitter’s free analytics are
free (and great!)
– Hootsuite.com
– Topsy.com
– Hashtracking.com
•Be proactive!
Questions?
More Questions?
• Forum booth “specialist spotlight”
• Friday, 11:30 am -noon
• One-on-one question time
• More than just Twitter!
